NBA Betting News and Notes Sunday, April 28

NBA Playoffs: Sunday's East Betting Preview
By Covers.com

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (+2, 181.5)

Knicks lead best-of-seven series 3-0.

The Boston Celtics have a storied playoff history that is second to none in NBA annals, but they are in unchartered territory this postseason - courtesy of the New York Knicks. The Celtics have never lose the first three games of a playoff series and face the dubious task of trying to become the first team to erase a 3-0 deficit when they host the Knicks on Sunday in Game 4 of the best-of-seven series. New York pushed Boston to the brink of elimination with a 90-76 rout on Friday.

The Knicks are on the verge of their first postseason series win since the 1999-2000 season, and they are fully aware of the magnitude of accomplishing it in four straight games. "To be honest with you, to accomplish that would be spectacular," star forward Carmelo Anthony said. "It would be a dream come true." Anthony, the league's leading scorer during the regular season, has been the driving force behind New York's domination, averaging 32 points in the first three games. Sixth Man of the Year award winner J.R. Smith was ejected Friday for elbowing Boston's Jason Terry in the face.

ABOUT THE KNICKS: New York C Tyson Chandler was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for 2011-12, but he missed 16 of the last 20 games of the regular season with knee and neck injuries and has contributed a total of only nine points while averaging six rebounds in three playoff games. Still, the Knicks have completely taken away the Celtics' offensive flow, with guards Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni dominating Boston's backcourt. Prigioni missed Game 1, when Avery Bradley scored 14 points, but he has limited Bradley to a combined eight points over the past two games while contributing nine points and five steals in Game 3.

ABOUT THE CELTICS: It's hard to imagine Boston winning a game, much less the series, following a string of feeble offensive performances. The Celtics have yet to score 80 points and are averaging a mere 75 in the three losses. Paul Pierce is averaging 18.7 points, but he's disappeared for long stretches, including a four-point first half in what was considered a must-win Friday night. He's been way off the mark from long range, connecting on 2-of-16 3-point attempts. "I think our 3-point game hasn’t really been there the whole series," Pierce said. "It’s going to be difficult. The playoffs are hard to win and we’ve got to figure out a way to grind through."

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-0 in the last six meetings.
* Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.
* Knicks are 7-0 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Knicks are 17-1 when Felton and Prigioni form the starting backcourt.

2. F Jeff Green is averaging a team-high 19 points for the Celtics.

3. New York was swept in four games by Boston in 2010-11 - Anthony's first season with the team.

Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks (+8.5, 195)

Heat lead best-of-seven series 3-0.

The Miami Heat have let the Milwaukee Bucks hang around until late in the third quarter in each of the last two games before putting the pedal down and sprinting to the finish. The Bucks will need to withstand that closing kick if they hope to extend the series beyond Game 4 on Sunday. The Heat are 13 wins away from back-to-back championships and have put up three convincing wins in the first three games against Milwaukee.

LeBron James has not approached the numbers he put up in Game 1 in either of the last two contests but has picked his spots to impact each game. He stayed on the floor with the second unit in the beginning of the fourth quarter of Game 2 to spark the decisive run and knocked down the 3-pointer late in the third quarter that got things rolling in Game 3. The Bucks have had some success with Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders on the inside but guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings have not been able to find a rhythm offensively.

ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami has looked vulnerable at certain points in each of the first three games before snapping back into focus and running away. James turned in a dominant performance in Game 1 but has let the supporting cast handle most of the heavy lifting in the subsequent two games. That cast might have to expand and put in even more work in Game 4 with Dwyane Wade ailing. The All-Star guard missed time at the end of the regular season with a bruised knee and was limited in practice by the injury on Saturday. If he can’t go in Sunday, the Heat have plenty of other options at the starting off-guard spot. Ray Allen has averaged 16.7 points off the bench in the first three games of the series and Mike Miller was strong in place of Wade at the end of the season.

ABOUT THE BUCKS: Jennings said that Milwaukee would win the series in six games before the start of the playoffs. That optimistic prediction is now an impossibility, and free-agent-to-be Jennings could be down to his final game in a Bucks uniform. Jennings scored 26 points in Game 1 but has gone 8-for-30 from the floor in the last two contests, including 1-for-14 from 3-point range. Ilyasova and Sanders have been the most effective offensive performers in the last two games but have not been able to take control of the game in the fourth quarter while Miami has been pulling away. Ilyasova and Sanders averaged a combined 16.6 rebounds in the regular season but have not been able to help the Bucks gain an advantage on the glass in the series.

TRENDS:

* Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Under is 4-0-2 in Bucks’ last six vs. a team with a winning record.
* Heat are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a losing record.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Miami F Chris Andersen has collected 31 points on 13-of-15 shooting in the first three games.

2. Allen broke Reggie Miller’s record for career playoff 3-pointers in Game 3. He has 322 after knocking down five on Thursday.

3. Bucks F Mike Dunleavy has averaged 13.5 points off the bench in the last two games.

NBA Playoffs: Sunday's West Betting Preview
By Covers.com

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (+10.5, 189.5)

Spurs lead best-of-seven series 3-0.

The Los Angeles Lakers opened the season with four potential future Hall of Famers in the starting lineup, and they will look to keep their season alive with three starters that averaged a combined 11.3 points. With their top four guards sidelined due to injury, the Lakers will trot out a starting unit that includes Earl Clark, Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock as they attempt to stave off elimination in Sunday's Game 4 of their best-of-seven series against the visiting San Antonio Spurs.

Facing an injury-depleted lineup didn't cause any let-up for the Spurs, who were steely efficient in dismantling Los Angeles 120-89 in Game 3 to put the Lakers on the brink of a first-round sweep for the first time since 1967. San Antonio shot 61.2 percent and received a combined 46 points from ageless Tim Duncan and rejuvenated point guard Tony Parker in Friday's romp. “We respect these guys,” Duncan said. “We’re not trying to give them any momentum whatsoever.” Spurs center Tiago Splitter injured an ankle Friday and is expected to miss at least a week.

ABOUT THE SPURS: Parker was scratched in the white of his eye in Game 3 that caused some blurred vision, but he said he expects to be fine for Game 4. He is coming off back-to-back 20-point performances for the first time in over a month. Coach Gregg Popovich declined to name who will start in place of Splitter, who has averaged only 4.8 points and 4 boards in the series but provides a big body to match up with Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. Among the candidates are DeJuan Blair, who had 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench Friday, Tim Bonner or Aron Baynes. The Spurs dominated the glass 49-35 in Game 3.

ABOUT THE LAKERS: Already down to its fifth and sixth guards due to the string of injuries, Los Angeles will also be shorthanded in the frontcourt in Sunday's game. Metta World Peace has been ruled out of the contest after having fluid drained from his knee Friday. He was a non-factor in Game 3, failing to score or grab a rebound and missing all six shots. Starting guards Steve Nash (hamstring/back) and Steve Blake (hamstring) and reserve Jodie Meeks (ankle) will all sit out as well. Second-year guards Darius Moore and Andrew Goudelock will start in the backcourt. The duo combined for 44 points Friday night.

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.
* Lakers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a loss.
* Over is 4-1 in Spurs’ last five overall.
* Over is 7-0 in Lakers’ last seven games following a loss of more than 10 points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series.

2. Gasol had a double-double in Game 3, his third one in the past six contests.

3. "We’re not just going to quit because all the odds are against us." - Lakers C Dwight Howard.

Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (+1.5, 211.5)

Warriors lead best-of-seven series 2-1.

A sore left ankle and anything the Denver Nuggets threw at him defensively could not slow down Stephen Curry in Game 3. Curry will try to lead the Golden State Warriors to a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series when they host the Nuggets in Game 4 on Sunday. Curry suffered a left ankle sprain in Game 2 and was a game-time decision before Game 3 but made it into the starting lineup and collected 29 points and 11 assists in the win.

Denver has been beaten at its own game in the last two contests, as the Warriors have crashed the paint and gotten out in transition in back-to-back victories. Nuggets guard Ty Lawson nearly got the better of Curry in Game 3 with 35 points and 10 assists but made the key turnover in the final seconds that allowed Golden State to close it out. The home crowd in Oakland was fired up for the first home playoff game since 2007 on Friday and should be in top form again for Game 4.

ABOUT THE NUGGETS: Denver stole Game 1 on Andre Miller’s last-second drive but was thoroughly beaten in Game 2 when the Warriors went to a smaller lineup. The Nuggets countered with their own smaller unit in Game 3, pushing Kosta Koufos to the bench and re-inserting Kenneth Faried into the starting lineup. Wilson Chandler and Faried served as the big men for most of the night, spreading the floor to open drive-and-kick lanes for Lawson. Denver nearly pulled off the victory with that strategy but could not overcome some key turnovers down the stretch. “There was a lot of good tonight,” Nuggets coach George Karl said after Game 3. “I told the team after the game, ‘the process of the NBA playoffs is to get better. We got better tonight.’”

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Things looked bleak for Golden State after David Lee was lost for the playoffs with a torn hip flexor in the fourth quarter of the Game 1 loss. But the Warriors regrouped by moving Jarrett Jack into the starting lineup and catching fire from long range in Game 2. Curry, who continued playing after rolling his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 2, got treatment between games and made the start in Game 3. The star guard had no trouble moving around early and put the Warriors on his back in the fourth quarter, driving to the hoop of a left-handed hook shot over Faried on one possession and taking Corey Brewer into the lane for a floater on the next to help Golden State maintain its slim advantage. The pace of the contest did lead to some trouble holding onto the ball, and the Warriors gave up 30 points on 23 turnovers.

TRENDS:

* Nuggets are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Warriors are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Nuggets’ last seven overall.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Curry joined Oscar Robertson (1962), Kevin Johnson (1989) and Chris Paul (2008) as the only players with at least 78 points and 33 assists in their first three playoff games.

2. Denver Cs Koufos and JaVale McGee combined for just four points in 25 minutes in Game 3.

3. Golden State G Klay Thompson went over 20 points in each of the first two games but slumped to six on 3-of-10 shooting in Game 3.

2013 NBA Playoffs

Knicks won last six games with Celtics, by 3-15-19-7-16-14 points; in three of six halves this series, Boston scored 31 or less points. NY won its three games in Boston this year by 3-15-16. Celtics' dilemma is that Knicks have three PGs better than anyone playing for Celtics, who made 16-58 from arc in series, shooting 41.5/37.1/40% from floor. Six of seven series games this year stayed under the total, including all three games in this series. JR Smith is suspended for this game after elbowing Terry in mouth when Smith had ball in Friday's game.

Milwaukee lost 18 of last 24 games; can they even win a game in series? Bucks upset Heat 104-85 at home Dec 29, forcing 20 turnovers (+15), but lost other six meetings by 7-13-11-23-12-13 points- under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Bucks played better in Games 2-3, making 50% in game 2, leading at half in Game 3, but they're 18-70 from arc so far in series. Miami is 5-3 in last eight games as playoff road favorite; they'll be anxious to get added time off that comes with a sweep. Wade missed 12 of 13 shots last game and Miami still won by 13.

In their franchise history, Lakers are 0-7 in Game 4's when they lost first three games; they lost first three series games by 12-11-31, trailing by 8-8-11 at half. Spurs shot 61.2% last game, after being under 39% in three of first five games vs Lakers. SA is 5-1 vs LA this season, winning by 2-3-12-11-31 points. LA is +10 in FT's tried in six series games this year, but its bench is -157 in series so far. Ginobili is +44 in series. Seven of eight Lakers who played last game were -12 or worse; Artest was only exception at -6, and he was 0-6 from floor in 17 minutes. Spurs are going to be gung-ho to get sweep and gets time off before next series.

Golden State shot 64.6/52.5% from floor last two games, winning with smaller lineup as Lee is out for year; they're 22-45 behind arc last two games, overcoming 66-54 halftime deficit last game- Curry was +13 and W's were -11 in 10 minutes he was off floor. Nuggets are 1-2 in Oakland this year, with games decided by total of nine points. Denver got to the foul line 92 times first three games, compared to 58 for Golden State, but Nuggets are just 19-60 behind arc so far in series. Over is 13-12-1 so far in playoffs, 8-5 in Western Conference. Weird to see Harrison Barnes playing better in NBA than he did at North Carolina.

Armadillosports.com

Sunday Afternoon Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

The Eastern Conference playoffs showcased the most exciting game so far with Saturday's epic triple-overtime victory by the Bulls over the Nets. However, the pair of series involving the top two seeds has been one-sided, as the Heat and Knicks both look to advance to the second round with wins on Sunday afternoon. We'll begin in Beantown with New York trying to shut the door on Boston.

Knicks (-1½, 181½) at Celtics

Two seasons ago, Boston swept New York out of the first round by hammering the Knicks in the final two games of the series. Fast forward to this April as the Knicks have turned the tables on their rivals by taking a 3-0 series advantage following Friday's wire-to-wire blowout of the Celtics.

New York destroyed Boston, 90-76 in Game 3 to easily cash as three-point underdogs. The Knicks have been particularly sharp on the defensive side by limiting the C's to less than 80 points in each of the first three games, resulting in three 'unders.' Doc Rivers' team struggled to score points in the second half of the first two losses in New York, but the Celtics started slow in Game 3 by mustering just 31 points before halftime. Four Celtics scored in double-figures, but that didn't mean much since the bench tallied only 10 points.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks once again with 26 points, as New York will look to clinch without its sixth man. J.R. Smith is out of Sunday's contest after getting hit with a one-game suspension for his elbow to the face of Boston's Jason Terry in the fourth quarter of Game 3. The Knicks have beaten the Celtics six consecutive times since a home loss to Boston in January. Mike Woodson's club owns a 4-1 ATS record the last five opportunities in the road favorite role, while posting a 10-10-1 ATS mark this season when laying points on the highway.

Boston has dropped successive home games just once this season, which came to New Orleans and Chicago in mid-January. The C's have put together a 4-2 ATS record as a home underdog, which includes outright wins over the Heat, Clippers, and Celtics. Under Rivers, the Celtics have never been swept in a playoff series, while the last time Boston was swept came back in 2004 in the opening round against Indiana.

Heat (-8½, 195½) at Bucks

Miami is trying to accomplish something on its bucket list it hasn't been able to do since the Big Three came together in 2011: pull off a playoff sweep. Amazingly, this is the ninth playoff series that the Heat has played with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but every series has gone at least five games. However, the Heat may be down one of its stars in the potential series-clincher on Sunday.

Wade injured his already banged-up right knee in Thursday's Game 3 victory over the Bucks, as the former Marquette standout shot just 1-of-12 from the floor for four points. The Heat rallied from an early 10-point deficit to trail by two points at the half, while busting things open in the second half with a 56-41 outburst. Miami cashed as seven-point favorites, 104-91, improving to 11-3 ATS since having its 27-game winning streak snapped at Chicago on March 27. However, the Heat won't know until nearly tip-off if Wade is going to suit up or sit out Game 4.

The Bucks are on the doorstep of elimination, losing all three games in this series by at least 12 points. Monta Ellis has struggled all season when facing the Heat, as the shooting guard has scored seven points in each of the last two losses. Ellis' backcourt mate and prognosticating specialist Brandon Jennings has shot 8-of-30 from the floor in Games 2 and 3.

Milwaukee put together one of the worst home ATS records this season at 16-26, while posting a 3-8 ATS mark when receiving points at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Heat are rolling on the highway recently by cashing in seven of the last eight road games.

NBA Betting Odds and Preview Capsules: April 28
Atssportsline.com

What a crazy Saturday of NBA playoff basketball! Three of the four home teams won and covered, while Oklahoma City held on to defeat Houston the road, without Russell Westbrook, who is out for the year with a knee injury. The Chicago Bulls managed to come back down double digits in the fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn in three ovetimes. Remember to utilize NBA injury reports and NBA Key betting trends as the injuries and suspensions are piling up. Check out a betting primer for the 2013 NBA Playoffs on Sunday below highlighting the top matchups.

New York Knicks (57-28 SU, 48-35-2 ATS, 39-44-2 O/U) at Boston Celtics (41-43 SU, 37-44-3 ATS, 42-41-1 O/U)

Intangibles:
Knicks guard J.R. Smith is suspended for Game 3 due to a flagrant 2 foul
Boston has never lost the first three games of a playoff series
The Knicks have not won a playoff series since the 1999-2000 season

Last game: (4/25/13) (Game 3) New York (+2.5) over Boston, 90-76.

Keys to Success: The Celtics have yet to score 80 points in any game of this series. Part of that is due to the Knicks' outstanding defense led by Tyson Chandler, who was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2011-12. The Celtics are going through too many stretches of long droughts. For whatever reason, when Ray Felton and Pablo Prigioni are starting in the backcourt, the Knicks are 17-1. What the Celtics don't have is Carmelo Anthony, who is in his prime while Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are stars on the decline. Do they have one game left to push this series back to New York? The Knicks are 6-1 ATS last 7 in series. NBA Betting Odds: New York is a 1.5-point betting odds favorite. Total: 181.5.

Denver Nuggets (58-27 SU, 49-35-1 ATS, 48-36-1 O/U) at Golden State Warriors (49-36 SU, 45-39-1 ATS, 49-35-1 O/U)

Intangibles:
Stephen Curry had 29 points and 11 assists in Game 3 on a sprained ankle
The Warriors have won two straight since losing David Lee for the year with a hip injury
Ty Lawson scored 35 points for Denver in Game 3

Last game: (4/25/13) (Game 2) Golden State (+1.5) over Denver, 110-108.

Keys to Success: Golden State has done fine without David Lee, the rebounding machine, who is out for the playoffs with a hip injury. The Warriors have outrebounded the Nuggets, 133-105 in their last three games combined to take a 2-1 lead. They might be going for a sweep if not for Andre Miller's layup in Game 1. Stephen Curry went toe-to-toe with Ty Lawson despite a sprained ankle and held his own. Lawson played a near-perfect game but made a key turnover in the final few seconds that proved costly for the Nuggets. Denver may go back to their smaller lineup for Game 4, but they better hold their own on the boards, or they will be going back to Denver down 3-1. Golden State is 17-5 last 22 matchups on the over bet at home in this series. NBA Odds: Denver is a 1.5-point betting odds favorite. Total: 212.0.